Terry Jones's modern-day Crusade against Muslims

The Rev. Terry Jones in Gainesville, Fla., who wants to burn Korans on Sept. 11, would have been right at home in the medieval Crusades. Imagine, thousands of men with crosses affixed to their uniforms marching off in military expeditions to rescue the holy lands from the Mohammedans. Oh, what joy!

Unfortunately for Jones, the Crusades by the Christian nations of Europe against Muslims -- or Saracens, as they were known at the time -- have come and gone, the last one ending in the 15th century.

So what's a wannabe crusader like Jones, to do? Single-handedly set out to inflame the Muslim world with one little, old match on Saturday?

Here is one modest suggestion: The Rev. Terry Jones may wish to consider repairing to a quiet place, sitting down with his Holy Bible, and reacquainting himself with the idea of redeeming love for sinful man and biblical teachings about how people should serve God and each other.

About the last thing the world needs, especially U.S. armed forces on the battlefield, is an out-of-control Christian soldier marching off to war against a religion he doesn't share. Especially at a time in the world when tolerance, understanding, charity and love are already in such short supply.

Of course, you are absolutely correct, Mr. King. But, what is difficult for Muslims in repressive regimes to understand is what freedom of speech--and freedom of religion--mean in the US. Occasionally, that means we have to tolerate idiotic acts by nut cases. The Koran burning preacher is such an example. Moreover, the press has given him so much attention--and attention is just what he craves. We would all be better off if no one shows up at this despicable event. My hunch is that the main attendees will be people protesting him and the press.

A word to those who want to protest the Koran burning: Do not show up. Do not shout. Go to a counter event somewhere if you must. Ignore him!

Tolerance is indeed in short supply. Those who have studied Islam know that it is rooted in intolerance - just read the Koran. Pastor Jones is wrong. Burning books does not spread tolerance. It is a terrible thing. Yet the violent reaction to Jones in the Muslim world proves his point. What can we think of a religion that inspires such intense reactions to a symbolic act, while we hear nothing from the members of that religion when religious freedom is denied, minorities are persecuted, and women are stoned in its name?

I agree that Rev. Terry Jones' plans to burn the Koran on September 11th, though protected by the First Amendment, are ill-conceived.

At the same time, I find it interesting that such criticism is being voiced by employees of a newspaper that once published a front-page story concerning then-President Bill Clinton's proposal to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military. In the article, reporter Michael Weisskopf described conservative evangelicals who opposed Mr. Clinton's proposal as "largely poor, uneducated, and easy to command."

What's the difference between Christian-bashing and burning the Koran? Nothing.

Buy a Quran Day on 9/11 to counter the hate crime by the samll time "pastor."

I suggest that the small time "pastor" should read the Quran instead of burining it:it will do him a lot of good and show him how misguided and ignorant he is.

Every open-minded and decent American should counter the "pastor's" hate and idiocy by bying A Quran on 911 to find out first hand what an inspiration and uplifting it is; I suggest the English transalation :"The Message of the Quran" by Muhammad Asad (formerly Leopold Weiss, jewish scholar who converted to Islam in 1926 and deid in Spain in 1992). That transaltion is avialble from amazzon.com

In response to asizk on sept 8th. You indicate he is ignorant because he has not read the Quran. I suggest he has and you need too. The Quran teaches hatred, violence and Mr. Jones right to speak in the US, is protected. Not like the death sentence he would recieve if he tried this in an islamic country.

While this is correct that burning of the Quran is not really a good idea even if it is constitutional.

It is my opinion that the world trade center Mosque has made many people very angry.

We are talking about hollowed ground where many people lost loved ones : I really do not believe any specific religion should build in this area.

A community center with a symbol to represent various religions to be put in by anyone who lost someone with the exception of the criminals that carried out the attack would make better sense. A Jewish symbol, a christian symbol, a muslim symbol if any were lost would be great over the bodies that were murdered.

While I think there is a god, I do not believe in any middle eastern religions to include christianity.
What I have noticed in the past is that if you are muslim that you do not want christianity shoved down your throat or if you are Christian you do not want the muslim religion shoved down your throat. If you are Jewish you are just running for your life!

I wonder what would happen if the christian religion put up a church over an area where Americans bombed. It would be interesting to say the least!

The muslim people seem to have their own agenda and that would be hatred when they put up the Cordova house.
It seems that Muslims hate!

@pawnsknight - please tell me you didn't just attempt to simplify parts of the Quran into a youtube video. Perhaps you should pick up a copy and read it instead because it is absolutely not about hatred and violence.

@ginamo - there are Christian churches in many Muslim countries.

Further, I agree that he has the constitutional right to burn whatever he wants, but I think he is an awful human being, who is disgustingly bigoted.

We seem to be so short sighted that we can't seem to learn from our past. Does he not care how many of our soldiers will be layed at his feet as a result of such ignorant actions. I can only imagine there will be no forgivness in heaven for such selfish acts. How can we have the audacity to judge others when we are capable of such terrible things ourselves. Use your head. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. My GOD!!!

It is interesting that Mr.Colbert King speaks about tolerance, well, your remarks Mr.King, about Pastor Jones, seems to make clear that there isn't much tolerance exhibited in what you are now saying about Pastor Jones. Please stop being so funny, and come out and say truly what you support. You seem to forget the quickly so many precious people who is still grieving over the lost of their 911 loved ones. Mr. KIng, you need backbone my friend. Mr. KIng, I think that you have very little tolerance......hehehe

If burning the holly Koran will subside Rev. Jones fever let him burn 100 copies, but he has to know even if all the printed copies of the holly book is burned there are millions who memorize the whole book.

I'm conservative muslim and if I burn a bible my faith will be damaged, why someone will burn a holly book?

If burning the holly Koran will subside Rev. Jones fever let him burn 100 copies, but he has to know even if all the printed copies of the holly book is burned there are millions who memorize the whole book.

I'm conservative muslim and if I burn a bible my faith will be damaged, why someone will burn a holly book?

I smell a rat! Something is not right here. Mainstream news sources seem to be preoccupied with the sensitivities of Muslims, Muslims, Muslims, and no one but Muslims.

Muslims start a Christian-bashing, Jew-bashing,infidel-bashing, Bible-burning, and flag-burning practice and mainstream news sources seek to appease them. But the moment a Christian, a Jew, or an infidel merely suggests the burning of the Quran mainstream media seems to be engaged in a modern crusade against him/her or is out to burn him/her at the stake, figuratively speaking.

It seems to me as if criticism of Bible-burning and flag-burning practices among Muslims is in such short supply among mainstream news sources and the politically correct (though actually incorrect) that I would venture to say that those Mainstream Western news sources are either anti-semitic, anti-Christian, pro-Muslim or paid by those who have an intolerable hatred of everything that does not conform to Muslim sensitivities.

Rev. Jones has the right to express his beliefs by burning the Quran. It's covered in the 1st Amendment. Will it cause harm to American's and Troops abroad? Yes it will. The real problem with Christian/Islamic relationships is they appose each other.John 3:16 And GOD so Loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son............Versus Surra #19 from the Quran That it is not for GOD to have a Son..... this has cause fighting for 1400 years. P.S. we will be having this conversation 100 years from now,and 1000 years from now

laflauta said: "What can we think of a religion that inspires such intense reactions to a symbolic act...?" Probably about the same thing we can expect from so-called patriots when someone burns a US flag, which is also a symbolic act.

1. Koran-burning is a dumb, dumb idea that has already probably done more damage than the famous Danish Muhammad cartoons, and will do lots more if the dumb, dumb Terry Jones carries out his plan. If you thought 9/11 was bad, you ain't seen nothin' yet until Islam responds to Jones.

2. So, a word of advice to my American cousins and friends: Turn this disaster to your advantage. Find a CONSTITUTIONAL way to shut down the radical pastor Jones. Then ensure that the rest of the world, and particularly Islam, knows that THIS IS THE WAY WE DEAL WITH FOLK WITH WHOM WE DISAGREE, not by murder, terror, or atrocities.

That done (and perhaps it's all that can be done to head-off Jones-trouble), we in the West must turn our attention to the following:

We (non-Muslim, relatively free democratic nations) have a serious problem with the increasingly radicalized home-grown segment of Islam.

Here are just three lines from the Koran: " ... slay the idolators wherever you find them, and take them captive or besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every likely place." (Ch. 9, verse 5) If a young Muslim takes this literally, and is taught it and encouraged in it, he will be radicalized.

Who teaches it? Saudi Arabia is using our oil money to finance hundreds of madrasas (Islamic schools) in the West. Years ago a Muslim woman stood on the steps of a Montreal madrasa and said, "Assimilate? We're not here to assimilate. We're here to take over. The laws of Canada are not the laws of God." The 5-year-olds in her madrasa are now the age of the Toronto 18 or the Toronto 4 or of hundreds of other Canadian-born Muslims.

On TVO's "The Agenda" tonight a Muslim anti-terrorist imam said there is a Muslim club in every Canadian university, from which radicalized Islamists split off, studying who knows what and planning who knows what.

Can you connect the dots? We have to EXERT SOME KIND OF CONTROL OVER EDUCATION THAT WE AREN' T BOTHERING TO DO, coupled with SOME KIND OF CONTROL OVER SAUDI AND SIMILAR FUNDING AND MADRASA-BUILDING IN THE WEST.

Your system rejected my ONE comment saying "too many from you." Better fix your system. After an hour 's work, I can at least paste in below part of what I had written.

We (non-Muslim, relatively free democratic nations) have a serious problem with the increasingly radicalized segment of Islam and also with the millions of Muslims who, though not radicalized, are apparently willing to join in shrieking throngs threatening mayhem against "infidels", which mayhem will, watch for it, start in the next few days.

Here are just three lines from the Koran: " ... slay the idolators wherever you find them, and take them captive or besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every likely place." (Ch. 9, verse 5) If a young Muslim takes this literally, and is taught it and encouraged in it, he will be radicalized. Who teaches it? Saudi Arabia is using our oil money to finance hundreds of madrasas (Islamic schools) in the West. Years ago a Muslim woman stood on the steps of a Montreal madrasa and said, "Assimilate? We're not here to assimilate. We're here to take over. The laws of Canada are not the laws of God." The 5-year-olds in her madrasa are now the age of the Toronto 18 or the Toronto 4 or of hundreds of other Canadian-born Muslims.

On TVO's "The Agenda" tonight a Muslim anti-terrorist imam said there is a Muslim club in every Canadian university, from which radicalized Islamists split off, studying who knows what and planning who knows what.

Can you connect the dots? We have to EXERT SOME KIND OF CONTROL OVER EDUCATION THAT WE AREN' T BOTHERING TO DO, coupled with SOME KIND OF CONTROL OVER SAUDI AND SIMILAR FUNDING AND MADRASA-BUILDING IN THE WEST.

I think the Koran burning is a positive thing. Perhaps unintentionally, the preacher is showing how the fear that has spread across Europe has arrived at our shores.

Our comedy writers have been prevented from making jokes about Muslims for fear of violent reprisal. (South Park on Comedy Central.)

How far will we let this go? Will we one day be like the Europeans and afraid to criticize Islam for fear of attack? Aren't we different from the Europeans? Can giving in to bullies really ever be a good thing?

This is just wild and crazy performance art! I wonder what all the people who are viscerally drawing back in hatred from this rube and his crazy Koran burning (in their estimation) would say about Karen Finley covering her naked body with chocolate sauce at taxpayer expense? Or about Piss Christ? Or about elephant dung spread over a representation of the Virgin Mary? Ad infinitum.

The idiot pastor's stunt would have no impact were it not for the impression our government and our military have given - through two badly conducted wars in Muslim countries and a 'Global War on Terror' that we are, indeed, on a crusade against Islam.

The idiot pastor's stunt would have no impact were it not for the impression our government and our military have given - through two badly conducted wars in Muslim countries and a 'Global War on Terror' - that we are, indeed, on a crusade against Islam.

This radical pastor definitely wants to convert Gainsville, FL into another Jonestown!!! He places himself on the same level as Jesus...He said Jesus WOULD burn the book...That's ludicrous! I am NOT a Christian but I know Jesus would NEVER encourage his disciples to commit such ignorant act.

And did you see how Pastor Jones enforces his rules on his followers? He has distorted the true value of Christianity! I hope his church members have some intelligence to stop his actions to avoid another Jonestown tragedy-it's inevitable with his mad thinking!

austinrl wrote: What's the difference between Christian-bashing and burning the Koran? Nothing.

I'm late to this discussion, but this reminds me of a couple of comments I heard on the radio yesterday. I was scanning stations as I drove and couldn't bear to listen to either conversation longer than a few seconds.

The first one was an interchange between two "Christians." One asked the other, "Do you think we Christians are going to experience persecution here in America, on account of Islam?" Without skipping a beat, came the reply, "Oh, I do." And then the argument that Muslims would commit increasingly provocative
attacks and "they" will be watching to see how we react."

But largely, it seems, that these folks aren't reacting but rather acting pre-emptively. Let's persecute them before they provoke us.
This is Christian?

"Few there be that find it," comes to mind. Emphasis on "few." True Christian people need to turn off their radios and love their neighbors, whoever they are.

On a second radio station, a commenter observed that Rev. Terry Jones was "only" exercising his legal rights and anyway, are Muslims tolerant of us???? Well, are they? Are they? They did it first! So, Johnny, if the Muslims all jumped off a cliff, would you want to do that, too?